"Riko! You okay?"
Satoru Gojo burst into the classroom, catching the eyes of a swarm of middle school girls.
Their gazes sparkled like stars!
"OMG, he's so hot!"
"White hair! Is it natural?"
"Bet he's mixed!"
"He's gotta be six-three! Tall and dreamy!"
"Hey, hottie, lose the sunglasses?"
Satoru, soaking up the fangirl frenzy, slid off his shades, flashing a smug, lopsided grin.
"AAAAHHH!"
Riko Amanai gaped at her crazed classmates, totally lost.
What's so hot about this scumbag?
"Quiet! Back to your seats!"
The teacher banged the desk, and the girls grudgingly returned to their places.
"Sir, who are you here for?"
Satoru leaned in. "Hey, Sensei. I'm looking for Riko Amanai. I'm her… brother!"
The teacher nodded. "Alright, Riko, go with your brother."
Suddenly, the teacher slipped Satoru a note on the sly. "Here's my number!"
"…"
As Satoru and Riko left the classroom, Sawa Gojo showed up with Misato Kuroi, having just dealt with a Pan-Star Cult-hired sorcerer—a paper-bag-wearing oddball with a "Cloning Technique" who got a proper beating.
Though the danger was gone, it signaled the end of Riko's freedom.
The higher-ups issued a strict order: get the Star Plasma Vessel to the Tombs of the Star Corridor ASAP.
Riko, hearing this, didn't sulk. Instead, she felt an odd sense of relief.
"It's time. Let's roll!"
Satoru watched her back, then spoke up.
"Bro!"
Sawa scratched his head. "One more day won't hurt, right?"
Satoru grinned. "Hell yeah!"
Suguru Geto shrugged. "I'm cool with it."
…
Okinawa, beach.
"Woo-hoo!"
Satoru and Riko darted across the sand, having a blast.
Misato, watching, smiled warmly. "It's been ages since Miss looked this happy!"
Sawa, beside her, deadpanned.
What, you're the loyal manor butler now?
Suguru, eyeing Satoru's chaos, turned to Sawa. "You and Satoru are running Limitless non-stop, and you haven't slept in a day. Can you keep it up?"
Sawa waved it off. "No sweat!"
Suguru sipped coconut juice, dead fish eyes narrowing. "Don't play it so cool. You'll fry your brain!"
"Fair point. Gotta set some things up."
Sawa grabbed his phone, typed a long message, and hit send.
Suguru glanced over. "Texting your crush?"
"Get lost!"
Sawa laughed, clarifying, "It's an email to Yaga-sensei!"
"Oh? What about?"
"Top secret!"
"Tch~"
"Hey, Suguru!"
"What?"
Sawa's tone turned grave. "You think Riko assimilating with Tengen is really okay?"
Suguru fell silent, then spoke slowly. "For the greater good, sacrificing one person for world stability is the best call."
"Even if it were me, I'd go willingly. That's my resolve."
"And personally?"
Suguru's eyes hardened. "It's total bullshit."
Sawa smiled.
"Suguru, I need a favor…"
"What?"
Suguru's eyes widened, stunned. "You're saying you and Satoru might lose?"
Sawa didn't commit. "Just a gut feeling, like Death's scythe at my throat."
"If it happens, take Riko to the designated spot immediately."
"Can I trust you, best friend?"
Suguru rolled his eyes. "I'll give it my all for you, but you and Satoru losing? Hard to buy that from you!"
"It's just a hunch!"
"Those hunches can kill!"
Sawa rubbed his nose. "Sometimes, dying might not be so bad."
"Huh?"
Suguru gaped. "Sawa, you lose your mind?"
"Suguru, why haven't we three nailed Reverse Cursed Technique?"
"Why bring that up again?"
"Seriously, isn't it weird?"
Sawa raised a finger, earnest. "Remember when we all pulled off Black Flash?"
"Of course."
Memories flooded Suguru's mind.
Black Flash!
When a physical strike and cursed energy sync within 0.000001 seconds, it warps space.
It's a move no one can trigger on purpose… except them!
After Sawa first landed Black Flash, Suguru and Satoru copied him.
Incredibly, they realized that by calming their minds and following cursed energy's flow, they could land Black Flash at will.
This shattered all prior knowledge and logic!
"Deliberately pulling off Black Flash proves our talent's unmatched!"
"…I'm not here for your ego trip!"
"My point is, with our skills, Reverse Cursed Technique shouldn't be this tough. We studied under Shoko forever—sure, her teaching's a mess, but we shouldn't be this lost!"
Suguru blinked. "So…"
Sawa smirked. "We're too comfy!"
"With the 'Strongest Trio' label, every mission's been a cakewalk. We've got no drive to improve!"
"Reverse Cursed Technique's big thing is near-death-level healing, but we barely get scratched, missing that do-or-die pressure!"
"So, I'm thinking—maybe dancing with death could unlock it!"
"Like Martin Heidegger said, something about…"
Suguru sighed. "Only by nearing death can one grasp the truth of existence."
"Yeah, that!"
"…Isn't that a bit extreme?"
"Scared?"
"Everyone fears death. Only liars claim otherwise."
Sawa leaned back, soaking up the warm sun. "Chill, it's just a thought!"
Seeing Sawa close his eyes, faking a nap, Suguru shook his head.
"Nearing death to grasp existence's truth… sounds like total nonsense~"